Strength Lies Therein
by liron-aria
Summary: A simple lunch among friends downtown turns into something not so simple, and some of our favorite heroines face down a monster they can't fight with their powers. Raven, Jinx, and Starfire, on the meaning of strength.


A/N: I don't even know where this came from, I really don't. This is something completely out of my league, and nothing like what I normally write. But... It deals with some sensitive topics, and is something I think needs to be said.

**Warnings**: Assault, implied/threatened sexual violence.

Abuse is not okay. Sexual violence is not okay. If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact 1-800-656-HOPE.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. That right belongs to DC and Cartoon Network.

With that out of the way, please, sit back and have a read!

* * *

"And then, Dhritarashtra went to hug his nephew and kill him with his superior strength, but he actually just crushed a statue, since Krishna figured out what he was planning, and gave him a metal statue to crush instead so that he could compose himself..."

Raven's attention wandered as Jinx regaled Starfire with stories from Hindu mythology. They were sitting at a corner café, enjoying a light lunch. Jinx had stopped by Jump City for a second opinion on some Sanskrit mystic texts. They had planned on eating while they worked, but Starfire had wanted to eat out in town, and convinced them to join her. Neither witch had it in her to resist Starfire when she looked at them so beseechingly.

Jinx and Starfire got along like a house on fire, and Raven found herself glad for ancient texts to puzzle over as the two of them started chattering about unicorns and fairies and all things cute and fluffy. By the time Raven resurfaced, they were seated at a table, and Jinx and Starfire were in a full-on discussion about Earthly mythology.

The people around them were mostly college students and teachers getting lunch, who paid surprisingly little attention to the three heroines sitting in the corner. But then, Starfire and Raven were already common fixtures of Jump City, and Jinx had just received an official pardon from the Mayor.

The emotions around her were light and cheerful, like butterflies against her passive empathy. People too absorbed in their work to spread their emotions outward -

- Except for the sharp wail of distress from across the street.

Heads turned and Jinx, Raven, and Starfire bolted out of their seats. A blonde woman struggled against a male aggressor, who had her pinned up against a wall.

"Stop it! Let me _go!_"

"Come on," the man jeered, "I know you want this, walking around, taunting me with that get-up -"

A wave of black energy crashed into him, sending him flying to the far end of the street. The woman whimpered, pulling her denim jacket tight around her as if to protect herself. Starfire shifted in front of her to guard her.

"I think you're done here," Jinx said coldly, looming over the man. He looked like a common street thug, tattoos, wife-beater, and torn jeans worn like badges of honor.

He snarled, picking himself up. "It's a free country, witch. I can do what I want."

"Not when it hurts someone else, you can't," Raven replied, her eyes glowing.

The man sneered, pushing Jinx out of his way and storming up to Raven. He was larger than her by about seven inches and almost a hundred pounds, which delighted him. "You got something to say about that, _girl?_"

"I think you should take a step back and cal -"

Raven should really have seen the backhand coming.

"_Raven!"_

Starfire's fists light up with green light, but Raven held out her hand in warning and Jinx said lowly, "Stay with the girl, Star."

"You telling me what to _do?!_" the man snarled, trying to loom over Raven, "I don't take orders from _women,_ especially one that don't know their place."

"You do not have the right to speak to Raven that way!" Starfire protested hotly.

"Danny, stop -"

"Shut up, Cindy," the man spat, "Women, these days. Need a strong man with a firm hand to put them in their place."

Jinx's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, you are so done, buddy," she muttered disgustedly, sending a crescent of pink energy at Danny's feet.

Raven trapped him in black energy as he fell and levitated him. "We have superpowers. What made you think it was a good idea to attack us?"

A police car rounded the corner, lights flashing and siren blaring. It was flanked by a JCPD motorcycle unit. A woman in navy and a JCPD jacket stepped out of the car, followed by younger male in a black suit.

"What's going on here, ladies?"

Raven looked between Danny and the policewoman who had spoken. "Do you want to tell Detective Reynosa what you said, or shall I?"

"That two-bit fake can't charge me with anything."

"Actually," Jinx corrected as Raven dropped Danny at Det. Reynosa's feet, "She can charge you with assault, disturbing the peace, slander, and attempted sexual assault."

Danny came up swinging.

"We can add assaulting a police offer to that list," Reynosa said, slamming him into her car and cuffing his hands behind him. "Not to mention violating the terms of his parole. Danny O'Brien, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

As Det. Reynosa read him his rights, Cindy struggled in Starfire's arms, chanting, "No, no, no - that's not - Danny, no -"

"Please, you must remain calm," Starfire pleaded, "I do not wish to hurt you!"

"You don't understand - Danny - you can't take him away!"

"Easy, Cindy," Raven soothed, "Just calm down."

Detective Reynosa sighed. "Your three statements will suffice for now. Send her down to the precinct when she's calm again."

The detective's voice indicated just how much she expected _that_ to happen.

"Is this guy a repeat offender?" Jinx asked, gesturing to the man swearing up a storm in the police car.

Reynosa nodded. "I'd _like_ to pin him with domestic abuse, put him away for more than a few months, but without Cindy's testimony..."

"She'll never give it, either," Danny shouted, "Because she's a weakling, and she knows she deserved all of it!"

Jinx snarled, her fist coming up covered in pink, crackling energy -

- Only to be stopped by Detective Reynosa's grip on her wrist.

"You know I can't let you do that," the policewoman said evenly.

Jinx tugged once, instinctively, before looking around. Danny's fear of her was poorly concealed, and the motorcycle officers all had their hands on their weapons, their postures ready and wary. She felt a wave of dèja vu wash over her. How many times had she been in this position? With a cop restraining her, and the boys in black and silver ready to open fire on her?

Jinx's shoulders slumped. "Right. Sorry."

Old habits were hard to break.

Reynosa gave her a last, measuring look, and nodded. "Jace, stop standing around and get the other girls' statements."

The young detective, clearly a rookie, jerked and nodded. "R-right."

Reynosa let go of Jinx's arm and flipped out her notebook. "Alright, start from the beginning..."

* * *

Raven stifled a sigh as Detective Jace stuttered his way through taking the two heroines' statements. He wasn't just new to the force, he was new to Jump City. He didn't know how to react to Starfire, as an alien and as an admittedly gorgeous woman. Raven's darkness terrified him instinctually, and he didn't know how to look past that. He didn't know the Titans like the rest of the force, didn't trust and rely on them the same way. He didn't know whose quirks to watch out for and whose to let slide, and he was starting to overcompensate.

He didn't know whether to treat them like civilians or gods.

Or demons.

"We were eating lunch," Raven said levelly when he finally turned to her, "We heard a scream and responded accordingly. We saw that Danny had Cindy pinned against the wall, while Cindy struggled and asked him to stop. I separated the two. Starfire attended to Cindy, while Jinx and I attended to Danny. Danny was combative, pushing Jinx, and I asked him to calm down. He responded by backhanding me across the face, and Jinx incapacitated him. I restrained him until the police arrived."

"That's very... detailed. Um, thank you."

Raven resisted the urge to raise her eyebrows. Just because it was Jace's first time taking a statement didn't mean she hadn't given plenty to the police before.

Jace seemed to sense her irritation and looked over at Cindy dubiously. "You say she struggled? She seemed averse to Mr. O'Brien's advances?"

Raven's gaze chilled. "She didn't _seem_ anything. She _was_ distressed, and wanted Danny to stop. I'm an empath, I can feel her emotions."

Jace's eyebrows rose, and he gave Raven a once-over. "Right. Well, thank you for your statement. The JCPD will take it from here. We can get this spat sorted out in no time."

Cindy sucked in a sharp breath, trying to contain a sob, and Raven felt the woman's emotions plummet. Starfire protested, "This was no mere 'spat' as you claim!"

Jace turned to Starfire with a gentle smile, saying, "Well, Miss, uh, Starfire, things are probably a little different here on Earth than what you're used to, and here sometimes w - people say 'no' when they mean 'yes' and certain provocative attire -"

"On no civilized world," Starfire cut in coldly, "Is it permissible to force oneself upon another against their will, regardless of what other may _think_ they 'mean.'"

Seeing Starfire stand there, tall and proud and righteous, Raven wondered how the Titans had not known she was royalty for so long.

Jace paled and attempted to backpedal. "Of course not! It's just that sometimes, people like Cindy -"

Raven felt her own temper spike as Jace's gaze flicked to Cindy's mini-skirt and down her long legs. Her eyes flashed as she stepped in front of Jace. "Enough. All this is doing is distressing Cindy further. You have our statements. We're leaving."

"Now hang on -"

Raven ignored the rookie detective's outraged protest and waited for Jinx to step back into range. The rest of his statement was cut off as Raven surrounded her friends and Cindy with black energy and teleported out.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Cindy sniffled, "Look at me, blubbering all over you."

Raven had teleported them to the edge of a park in another part of the town. Cindy and Starfire were sitting on the grass, Cindy sobbing in Starfire's arms, as Raven and Jinx made sure no one was around to bother them.

"It is no burden to us," Starfire soothed, "Take as much time as you need."

As Cindy tried to calm herself, Jinx pulled Raven aside and asked lowly, "Was Jace really..."

"Victim-blaming? Yes."

Jinx hissed, her eyes flashing angrily. "That - That gunk-eating _pig!_"

"Reynosa wasn't too happy with him. She'll take care of it."

Cindy wiped at her eyes and nose, saying, "Detective Jace was right. This - this is just a - a lover's spat. It's not Danny's fault -"

Jinx and Raven turned to Cindy incredulously. "You don't actually mean that!"

"Danny - Danny loves me."

Raven wondered if she was the only one who could tell how hollow those words were.

"_Danny_ is a -"

"Jinx." Raven cut through the other sorceress' budding rant and knelt in front of Cindy. "Cindy, I'm an empath. Do you know what that means?"

Cindy nodded. "You can tell what people are feeling."

Raven nodded. She hesitated for a moment, and said bluntly, "Danny doesn't love you."

Cindy reared back, demanding, "Why would you say that?! He -"

"_Listen_ to me," Raven pressed, "I felt every one of his and your emotions today. He doesn't you love you, and you _know_ he doesn't."

"I - no, that's not - I don't -"

"He doesn't love you," the empath continued, "And you don't really love him."

"Stop it!" Cindy said miserably, burying her face in her hands, "Just - just stop it!"

Raven sat back on her heels, allowing the other woman to process her words.

"Please," Starfire said hesitantly, as the silence stretched on, "If he does not love you, and you do not love him, then why..."

Cindy laughed bitterly, her voice all sharp edges. "You wouldn't understand."

"... But I would like you," Starfire replied softly, her wide green eyes brimming with compassion.

Raven was beginning to suspect humans were somehow hardwired not to be able to resist Starfire. To date, everyone faced with that look had caved. Cindy was no exception.

"I just wanted to be happy," the blonde blurted out, "I just - we were _happy_, once. Danny was good to me - he was!"

Jinx and Raven exchanged glances out of the corner of their eyes as Cindy stared down and picked at the grass, but remained silent, allowing her to keep talking. There was a ring of truth to her words, anyway.

"He was romantic at first. Brought me flowers and earrings and took me out when he had the chance..."

Cindy sighed, an aborted hiccough ricocheting through her chest. "You're gorgeous, you know that? Well, of course you do, with all the guys throwing themselves at your feet. You're gorgeous, powerful, strong - me, I'm just White trash. Girls like me are a dime a dozen. No money, no special talents... Girls like me take our fortune where we can find it. Maybe your man's not much of a looker, or maybe he get's a little mean when he's had too much to drink. You make do. At least he's yours. At least he loves you - or says he does. You don't make waves - especially if there's little ones around. You do what you can to keep a roof over their heads."

The three heroines exchanged startled glances. Children?

"Cindy, is there anyone we need to -"

Cindy shook her head. "No, and maybe that's what made Danny so man... Maybe if I had just -"

"Cindy."

This time, it was Jinx who spoke, her voice soft. "Look, I get it. You come from bad beginnings, and everything in life just seems stacked against you. Everyone judges you, and eventually, you accept it. You fit yourself to the mold society has for you, and you settle for whatever comes your way."

Cindy stared at the ground, her jaw clenched. Jinx reached forward and grasped her hands. "But it doesn't have to be that way. My powers are bad luck, you know. I break things, make people trips... My whole life, people judged me, said I was nothing but a troublemaker... And I grew up and proved them right. You're a Jump native, you know who I was - a thief and a crook. I hated it. Hated myself. But I got out. I got help, support, and a new life for myself. You don't have to _settle_ for this, Cindy."

"That's easy for you to say! You - girls like you are _strong._ You, you have _superpowers_. I'm not like that."

"It is not our powers that make us strong," Starfire countered, "We feel fear the same as you. We feel you, doubt, and sorrow the same as you. When we are alone, we long for companionship. We fall, we make mistakes, we love, and we grieve. I came to this planet as a slave, filled with rage and fear. It was a human who reached out to me, who taught me that kindness was a strength, not a weakness. Will you not allow us to extend that strength to you?"

Cindy clapped a hand over her mouth, choking back another sob. "Saying things like that - you're going to make me cry all over again!"

"You deserve better, Cindy," Raven said softly.

Cindy sniffed. "You want me to testify against Danny."

"It's your choice."

Cindy shook her head. "I - I can't. Danny's all I have - had. The house is under his name. All of our friends are his friends."

Raven turned and gestured to a building across the street. "Blue Haven offers shelter and help for anyone who needs it. They have counselors and legal aid to advocate for you. They can get you back on your feet... but it's your choice."

Cindy looked at the building warily.

"I know how difficult it is," Raven said evenly, "To go against someone you once loved. You remember the good times, and try not to think about the bad. You hope... even if you know nothing will come of it. You feel beaten down and used. And the longer time goes, you start feeling like you don't deserve anyone else. You feel _weak._ It's human nature.

"But strength... strength is getting up again. Strength is taking that one step forward, just one, so that you can start to move on. Strength is accepting a helping hand when it reaches out to you."

Cindy stared at Raven, eyes wide. "W- Why me? When there are so many others who need your help?"

"Why not you?"

"You are not merely 'white trash,'" Starfire said strongly, "You are a human, glorious and strong. You are as worthy of our aid as anyone else. You deserve a better life."

Cindy sniffed and rubbed her eyes, her make-up smearing further. "It's been so long, I - I don't know if I can do this."

Raven stood, holding out her hand. "The first step is the hardest."

Cindy looked between the three superheroines. Starfire gave her an encouraging look, and Jinx nodded with a small smile. She looked past Raven to the Blue Haven shelter, with its white walls and light blue curtains and potted plants in the windowsill, so different from the dingy grey house she shared with Danny and whichever of his friends were out of prison at the time. She thought of not living in fear and oppressing tension.

Cindy reached out to grab Raven's hand and stood up.

* * *

Jinx leaned against the wall of the lobby of Blue Haven, waiting with Starfire as Raven and Cindy talked to the center's supervisor. Starfire was seated beside her in one of the plastic waiting chairs, a morose slump to her shoulders. A few people had passed them by, and a woman with a black eye had thrown them a glare full of venom.

"You doing okay, Star?" the sorceress asked softly.

Starfire looked up, a lost expression on her face. "I - I fear I am not. I have lived on this planet for many years now, but there is still so much I have not seen, so much... darkness I do not understand."

Jinx felt a prickle of goosebumps across the back of her neck and shoulders. She had really built up some awful karma if it fell to her to explain domestic violence to Starfire.

"Don't judge us too harshly, Star."

The alien blinked, stunned, and protested, "I am not -"

"Yeah, you are," Jinx replied easily, "And that's okay. We need people like you to keep us accountable. Humans can be cruel and greedy and vindictive, and really, really awful to each other. We judge each other for petty things like dress and skin color. But... As much as humans have the capacity to hate and destroy, we also have the capacity to love and create. That's the core of humanity, the choice between creation and destruction, love and hate, forgiveness and vengeance."

Jinx sighed and rubbed her arms. "Some people get off on power, on seeing people be weaker than them. They only care about themselves and their pleasure, and their partners are only there for their convenience. They can be charming, kind, attentive... until they've gotten what they wanted. And we try, as cops, as heroes, to put those people away, to make sure they can't hurt others."

Starfire nodded, her gaze distant. "On my planet, we believe in living life fully and freely. We are not a selfish people, even though we have been known as warriors. We love with all our hearts, spread joy with our days... The idea of using another for our own pleasure, it - it is alien to us_._"

Another woman walked past them, this time leaving the shelter. Starfire tracked her out of the corner of her eyes as she left. "These people... do they blame us?"

"Some do," Jinx replied sadly, and Starfire slumped further, her face shadowed by her long hair. "They see us, strong and powerful, taking down villains as easy as breathing, and wonder why we can't - why we haven't saved them from their nightmares yet."

Jinx crouched down beside Starfire, clasping her shoulder. "But others - they look at us and see _hope._ They see strong, powerful women fighting monsters and _winning._ They see us fighting for a brighter day, and they have hope that the sun will keep rising, and that one day they, too, will defeat the monsters in their lives."

"That's what we do, Starfire," Raven said, re-entering the lobby. Jinx and Starfire stood to face her, and Raven continued, her voice strong and clear, "We're not just heroes, we're symbols. We give other people hope. We save people, and when we can't, we give them the strength to save themselves.

"That's what heroes do."

* * *

A/N: So, thoughts? Please, leave a review!


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